tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5409482909880290151.post1340150114285681173..comments2017-12-14T01:34:26.610+04:00Comments on EL Kaos UT: N. Korea says 'prepared to risk war' as troops on alertGeo Kokhttps://plus.google.com/111683365675203687716noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5409482909880290151.post-55772128119393422952015-08-22T07:34:50.717+04:002015-08-22T07:34:50.717+04:00South Korea on high alert as North Korean attack d...South Korea on high alert as North Korean attack deadline looms...<br /><br />South Korean troops stood at maximum alert Saturday with North Korea threatening to go to war unless Seoul meets a looming deadline to halt loudspeaker propaganda broadcasts across the border.<br /><br />The North Korean People’s Army (KPA) said late Friday that its front-line troops had moved into a “fully armed, wartime state” in line with the wishes of leader Kim Jong Un and ahead of Saturday’s 5 p.m. Pyongyang time deadline.<br /><br />The international community has a long experience of North Korea’s particularly aggressive brand of diplomatic brinkmanship and, while there is concern over the potential for escalation, many see the situation as another exercise in attention-seeking by Pyongyang.<br /><br />“Given their past negotiating style and tactics, the likelihood that they will follow through with their threat of a military action is low,” said James Kim, a research fellow at the Asan Institute think tank in Seoul.<br /><br />At the same time, Kim acknowledged that second-guessing Pyongyang’s game plan was always risky, and the possibility of a North Korean strike of some sort could not be ruled out.<br /><br />“If so, South Korea must have a firm, strong, and timely response to signal its resolve that it will not be intimidated. Anything less would be an invitation for further provocation,” he said.............japantimes.co.jp<br />22/8/15Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com